Kinetic: Dances of Lake Volta
Kinetic

For Pittsburgh-based Kinetic's follow-up to 2018's well-received Songs of Lake Volta, pianist Joseph Sheehan is joined by singers and musicians who share his love for Ghanaian folk and excitement at exploring a cross-genre hybrid that blends it with jazz, funk, and soul. As a pianist, Sheehan has consistently demonstrated open-mindedness in projects with jazz artists, classical outfits, Chinese traditional musicians, and others. Such experiences enable him to feel comfortable in any number of contexts, from jazz and R&B to classical and World Music. His interest in the latter grew during his tenure as a doctoral candidate studying jazz, classical, and traditional West African musics and three trips to Ghana to study its traditional music and dance.

Dances of Lake Volta augments Sheehan on piano (also Rhodes, mbira, kora, gyil, background vocals, and percussion) with guitarist Anthony Ambroso, bassist Claude Flowers, percussionist PJ Roduta, drummer James Johnson III, keyboardist Samuel Boateng, trombonist Reggie Watkins, saxophonist Roger Romero, and Mariko Reid, Anita Brown, and Maya Brown-Boateng on vocals. Most have Pittsburgh connections, with some long-term residents and others currently pursuing degrees at the University of Pittsburgh. Samuel Boateng, for example, is from Ghana but enrolled in the university's Jazz Studies program. Kinetic's guitarist, trombonist, bassist, and drummer, on the other hand, are familiar faces in a number of Pittsburgh scenes, from gospel and R&B (Flowers) to jazz (Ambroso, Johnson III, Watkins).

The similarity between the album titles Songs of Lake Volta and Dances of Lake Volta carries over to the material. After completing the first release, which merged nine Ghanaian folk songs with original chamber music, Sheehan began imagining the pieces in a more energized form and subsequently rewrote each one with that in mind. The resultant re-imaginings now compose the sequel along with an additional Ghanaian folk song and “Another Day,” an Afrobeat composition by Samuel Boateng. During his trips to Ghana, Sheehan learned the ten folk songs from local musicians and, while the recorded versions do present the material at a further stage of development, a concerted effort was made to preserve the integrity of the originals.

The album engages instantly when “Dusime” inaugurates it with a funky, guitar-accented pulse and vibrant harmonies. The percolating groove testifies to the dance dimension of the recording, and vocals, percussion, bass, and piano come together gloriously in this ravishing statement. As enticing are “Aklie” and “Komfo Anokye” for their entrancing folk rhythms and enchanting vocal melodies, with the latter elevated by a jazz-inflected pulse, Mariko Reid's sultry voice, and a scalding, fusion-tinged solo by Ambroso. It's not the only time Reid elevates the album, with “Damba Suite” and the poignant lament “Oye” distinguished by her contributions. The vocal's effectively handled by Samuel Boateng on the downtempo “Akoo Kofi,” while chiming folk melodies add to the delicate ambiance of the album's sole instrumental, “Kekele.” With horns (including a solo by Romero), Boateng's jazzy organ, and vocal chanting giving extra thrust to the Afrobeat broil, “Another Day” is irresistible, as is the celebratory closer “Subo.”

October 2021